Majority of Israeli Jews claim that there is no ‘occupation’

The majority of Israeli Jews believe that controlling the West Bank is beneficial for Israel’s security, according to the most recent Peace Index. However, the majority of Israeli Jews oppose the idea of annexation.

50 years have passed since the Six-Day War ended, and according to the May 2017 Peace Index, the majority of the Jewish populace in Israel believes that the Israeli policy in the West Bank should not be defined as an “occupation.” In contrast, 91% of the Israeli Arab population believes that the definition is suitable.

According to the index, the Jewish population’s opinion in Israel on the West Bank is split regarding the prospect of the annexation of the area, with 44.4% supporting the idea and 45% opposing it. Within the Arab population, the majority (79.5%) opposes the possibility while only 11.5% support it.

27% of the Jewish population believes that following the 1967 war, Israel should have offered the return of the area for the sake of a peace agreement with the Arab world. A small majority (50.8%) of the Jewish population believes that constructing settlements was good for Israel’s national interests while the Arab populace disagrees, with 68% claiming that the settlements stand in the way of peace.

65% of the Jewish population believes that controlling the West Bank serves a security purpose even though it does not aid Israeli diplomatically and financially and has taken a toll on its democracy. The Arab population does not believe that controlling the area aids Israel in any way.

Despite the different opinions regarding other topics, 61.9% of the Jewish populace and 70.1% of the Arab public support the renewal of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, though few believe that an agreement can be reached in recent years. Following US President Donald Trump’s visit to Israel, it seems that there’s a doubt regarding his ability to bring the two sides to the negotiating table, with only 37.3% of the Jewish population and 15% of the Arab public believing he will manage to do so.